Shipping container



May 2s, 1935. R, FARlES ET AL 2,002,570

SHIPPING CONTAINER Filed Oct. 24, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVENToRs:

May 28, l935- A R. FARlEs ET AL 2,002,570

SHIPPING CONTAINER Filed oct. 24, i953 4 sheets-sheet 2 FICI.

May 28, 1935.-

R. FARIES ET AL SHIPPING CONTAINER Filed Oct. 24, 1933 55M, Y Ffclz 12,

4 Sheets-Sheet 3 May 28, 1935.i R. FARlEs E1 A1. 2,002,570 Y SHIPPING CONTAINER Filed oct. 24, 1933 4 sheets-sheet 4 INVENTORS:

nur` Wiliam/5, Y l 65 ATTORNEYS.; 1

55 l Kmart Fari 13e.

Patented May 28, 1935 Y UNITED STATES SHIPPING CONTAINER Robert Faries, St. Davids, andV James B.

McWilliams, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Aimplicara october 24,

193s, serai No. .694,994 j 7 claims. (01."280-3) i e l The Vdriving sprockets I 1, I8 for these 4traction This invention relates to shipping containers of the kind used by railroads Vin the transporta- .tion of freight in less than carload lots. Suchv containers are ordinarily `proportioned and der signed for close arrangement in serial orderon flat freight cars, and adapted to be transferred sidewise from the cars to Station platforms orto motor trucks, trailers, etc., and-vice versa.

The chief aim of our invention is, to make possible the transfer 4of shipping ,containers ofthe kind referred .to without necessitating the aid of powerhoisting devices or lifting cranes,r(which are not always available, particularly at wayside railway stations), throughindividual incorporai tion with the containers,of"manuallyeoperable propelling mechanism toeffect either straightaway or curvilinear progression of thecontainers.

Our inventionis moreover directed toward securing the above desideratum in a manuallyoperative propelling` mechanism which is compact and' so organized and :allocated that it does -not interfere with thev usual close arrangementof the containers on the railway cars -or trucks,

AY,Still Vother objects and attendant advantages of this invention will be `manifest from the detailed description which follows of the drawings, wherein Fig. I is a side elevation of a shipping container conveniently embodying our invention in Aone form.

Fig. II is an end elevation of the container with a portion broken` out and in section to expose parts which would otherwise be hidden.

FignIII is .a plan sectionrof the container with `the center-,portion thereof broken out.

l'igt IV is a fragmentary view of the container partly in side elevation and partly in vertical-section. v f v Y 'i Fig. v V is a `fragmentary detail sectionalview taken as indicated bythe arrows V-V in Figs. III and IV and drawn to a larger scale.

' i Fig. VIis a detail view of a removable handle for actuating container. e 1 e A u v vFig. =VII is afragmentaryview showing iin plan alcontainer embodying a slightly modified form ,of propelling-mechanism. i i

The shippingY container delineated inA Figs. rI-VI is, generally speaking, of standard constructiomthe same` havingsolidlend walls I I, and ,side walls i2 with doors I3 by which access is had Yto the interior. In accordance Vwith our invention welmountthe container ona chassis I4 which comprises two laterally-spaced fendless sprocket chain traction belts I5, I5 that'V extend Llengthwise of the oppositeendsof thercontainer.

the propelling mechanism of `the belts are respectively secured to aligned sections I9, .20 of a split shaft, having journal support in suitable .bearings 2|, 22 aiforded by the chassis. Fast on the contgu-ousinner ends of the shaft sections I9, 20 are opposing bevel gear wheels 23, 24 respectively. At right angles to `the split sprocket shaft and .extendingfrom one side I2 to the other of the container belovT the floor `25 of the latter is an actuating shaft 26`whereofthe 10 polygonal ends l21, zsproject somewhat beyond said container'sidesIZ. The shaft 2,6 is free within a split ,sleeve composed of twosections 29, 30 having'journal support in bearings 3I, 32 and 33 of the chassis I4. As'shovvn, the sleeve sections 29, 3U respectively terminate in squared ends 34, 35-sovmewhat inward of the polygonal ends 21, 28 of the shaft 26 which latter carries` a bevel pinion 36 that meshes with the bevel gear wheel 24 on the sprocket shaft section 20. Afjxed to the inner end of the sleeve section 25J-lare a bevel pinion `3`I which meshes with the bevel gear wheel 23 onltheother sprocket shaft section I9 and a spur pinion 38 which meshes with a mating pinion `39`on one end of another cross shaft 4I) which is journalled in the bearings 3I, 32 at a level Vabove the shaft 26. At its opposite end, the shaft 40 carries a spur pinion' 4I like the pinion 39, which .meshes with a companion spur pinion 42 on the inner end of thesleeve section 30. Y

'At143 is shown an actuating handle, which, within'a bifurcation at its lower end, carries, with capacity for Aindependent rotation, a pair of ratchetV wheels 44 and 45 respectively having axial polygonal openings to t the polygonal [ends .21, 28 and 34, (-115` respectively of the actuating shaft 26 and the sleeve sections 29, 3B. A pair of vdoubled-ended reversing pawls 46,41 for cooperating respectively with the ratchet wheels l,44, 45,,areindependentlypivoted on a .pin 48 which extends crosswise of the bifurcation of the handle 43 ,abovesaid ratchet wheels. Influential upon the pawls46, 41 are arcuate bale-like springs 4,9, U50, respectively, each `having three notches for lselective engagement withixed studs 5I, 52 on l the handle 43. o

i To manipulate the container, `the actuating Vhandle 43V is applied for example to the corresponding `polygonal ends of theshaft 25 andthe sleeve section 29 at one side of the container `as shown in Figs. I, I-IIand VL 'I"hepawls 46, `4'! lare next set by adjustment ofthe bale springs 49, SI1inaccordance `with the directionin which the `container is to bervprogressed. For straight-away ,progressienpf fthe-container inthe direction in Cil tion through motion imparted to them by theV intermeshing bevel gear couples 24, 35 and 23, 3l. By setting the pawls 455, 4l so that their left hand ends simultaneously engage the ratchet wheels 44, 45, and thereupon swinging the han- Y dle 43 as before, the` container will obviously be progressed straight-away in the direction opposite to that shown by the arrows in Figs. II and III. Again, with the pawl 45 in neutral as in Fig. VI and the right hand end of the pawl 41 in action, only the sleeve section 29 will be turned anti-clockwise. through,cooperation of the bevel gear 23 and pinion 3l with consequent impartation upon swinging of the handle 43, of movement tothe traction belt l5 alone, the container being thereby caused to turn leftward while the traction belt l@ remains idle. Similarly, with the pawl 4l in neutral and the left hand end of the pawl 46 inaction in Fig. VI, the container will be turned'rightward incident to progression in the direction of the arrow in Fig. III upon actuation of the handle '43, .To operate the traction belt i6 alone, the pawl 4l is placed in neutral and either the right hand or left hand end of the pawl 45 placed in action, whereby, upon swinging the handle, the container is correspondingly steered either to the right Aor left incident to its progression with the traction belt` I5 idle. By applying the handle to the corresponding ends of the transverse shaft and sleeve at the opposite sides ofthe container, and'proceeding as above explained, the container may be progressed either forwards or backwards or along curvilinear paths Veither. leftward or rightward in identically the same manner as before, the movements of the sleeve section 3S being communicated to the sleeve section through the spur gear couples 4l, 42 and 38, 39 and the cross'shaft 40. Thus, through our invention, it is possible for one man aloneto manipulate the container as desired or required to move it onto or off a railway car, station platform or'truck, the operation being com- Vparativelyreasy by virtue of the-reducing differential ratio of the bevel gear couples 23, 31V and .24, 36'. While the actuating shaft 26 mayif desired, be otherwise located, `we prefer to place it near one end ofthe container so that during the actuation of the handle, the operator can see around the corresponding corners of the container and better direct its progress. c

The modified formfof our invention shown in Fig. VII is like that of Figs. I-VI but capable of operation from one side only of the container.y ,In this case, the actuating shaft 26a is comparatively short with only one of its ends 27a polygonally configured and projecting beyond a door side 82a ofthe container. As before, the shaft 26a `carries a bevel pinion 36a that meshes with a bevel gearwheel 24a on the sprocket shaft section 2M. Moreover in this case, but one sleeve 29a is employed, the same having its ends squared as at 34a, carrying a bevel pinion 31a which meshes with a bevel gear wheel 23a on the sprocket shaft section 19a' 'for the traction belt ld, the sleeve section 3l), the spur pinions 38, 39, 4I and v42 andthe'shaft 40" of the rst described embodiment being entirely dispensed with here. All other identical features` not specifically referred to in the modification are identified with the same reference numerals used in Figs. I-VI with the addition, in each instance, of the distinguishing character afi The operation of the modified form of our invention is obviously identical with that of the rst described embodiment. By reason of the allocation of the connections for attachment of the actuating handle 43 in both cases at the door sides l2 of the containers, the closed ends Il of the latter are left free of any projections which might tend to interfere with the desired close arrangement of the containers on the railway cars or motor trucks.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

l. In a shipping container of the character described, a supporting chassis with laterallyspaced endless traction belts; a divided drive shaft composed of sections with sprockets for the respective traction belts; opposing bevel gear wheels on the contiguous ends of the sprocket shaft sections; an .actuating shaft with a polygonal end accessible at one side of the container; a bevel pinion on said actuating shaft in mesh with one of the bevel gear wheels; a sleeve free on the actuating shaft terminating in a polygonal end somewhat inward of the polygonal end of the actuating shaft and carrying a bevel pinion in mesh with the other o f the aforesaid gear Wheels; and means attachable to the squared ends respectively of the actuating shaft and sleeve whereby the traction belts may be either concurrently or individually operated manually to effect straight-away o1' curvilinear progression of the container.

2. In a shipping container of the character described, a supporting chassis with laterallyspaced endless traction belts; a divided drive shaft composed of sections with sprockets for the respective traction belts; opposing bevel gear wheels on the contiguous ends of the sprocket shaft sections; an actuating shaft with polygonal ends respectively accessible at opposite sides of the container; a bevel pinion on said actuating shaft in mesh with one of the bevelgear wheels; a divided sleeve with its sections free on the actuating shaft, one of the sleeve sections carrying a bevel pinion in mesh with the other of the Ytwo aforesaid beveled gear wheels, and both terminating respectively at opposite sides of the container in polygonal ends somewhat inward of thev polygonal ends of the actuating shaft; gearing connecting thertwo sleeve sections for movement in unison; and means attachable to the contiguous polygonal ends respectively of the actuating shaft and its sleeves at opposite sides lof the container, whereby the traction belts may be either concurrentlyvor selectively operated manually to effect straight-away or curvilinear progression of the container.

3. In a shipping container of thecharacter described, a supporting chassis with Ylaterallyspaced endless traction belts; a divided drive shaft composed of sections with sprockets for the respective traction belts; opposing bevel gear wheels on the contiguous ends of the shaft sections; an actuating shaft with a polygonal end accessible at one side of the container; a bevel pinion on said actuating shaft in mesh with one of the bevel gear wheels; a sleeve free on the actuating shaft carrying a bevel pinion in mesh with lthe other of the two bevel gear wheels, said sleeve terminating in a polygonal end somewhat inward of the polygonal end of the actuating shaft; and an actuating handle with selective reversible ratchet means, attachable to the polygonal ends respectively of the actuating shaft and its sleeves whereby the traction belts may be either concurrently or individually operated manually to effect straight-away or curvilinear progression of the container.v

4. In a shipping container of the character described, a supporting chassis withy propelling means including laterally-spaced endless traction belts; and manual operating means comprising ratchet wheels coordinated respectively with said traction belts, an actuating hand lever, reversible pawls on said lever to cooperate respectively with the ratchet Wheels; and means whereby said pawls may 'be set to determine concurrent movement of the traction belts for straightaway progression of the container either forwards or backwards, or to determine individual movement of thev traction belts for curvilinear progression ofthe container either to the right or to the left.

5. In a shipping container of the character described, a supporting chassis with propelling means including a pair of laterally spaced endless traction belts; and manual Aoperating means accessible for actuation at opposite sides of the container and comprising ratchet wheels coordinated respectively with said traction belts, an actuating hand lever, reversible pawls on said lever to cooperate respectively with the ratchet wheels and means whereby said pawls may be set to determine concurrent movement of the traction belts for straightaway progression of the container either forwards or backwards, or to determine individual movement of the traction belts for curvilinear progression of thc container either to the right or to the left.

6. In a shipping container of the character ratchet Wheels coordinated y respectively with said traction belts, an actuating hand lever, reversible pawls on said lever to cooperate respectively with the ratchet wheels, and means whereby said pawls may Vbe set to determine concurrent movement of the traction belts for straightaway progression of the container either forwards or backwards, or to determine individual movement of the traction belts for straightaway or curvilinear progression of the container either to the right or to the left.

7. In a shipping container of the character described, a supporting chassis with propelling means including a pair of laterally-spaced endless traction belts, drive wheels for said belts and drive shafts respectively for the drive wheels; and manual operating means including ratchet wheels coordinated respectively with the drive shafts, an actuating hand lever, reversible pawls on said lever to cooperate respectively with the ratchet wheels; and means whereby said pawls may be set to determine concurrent movement of the traction belts for straightaway progression of the containers either forwards or backwards, or to determine individual movement of the traction belts for curvilinear progression of the container either to the right or to the left.

ROBERT FARIES. JAMES B. MCWILLIAMS. 

